As we surpass the quarter point of the 2022-23 NBA season, there are some real concerns for the Miami Heat. They are only 11-12 and currently on the outside looking in of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference as they are in 9th place.
While their defense remains strong, as they are 10th in the NBA in Defensive Rating, any offense has been tough to come by. Miami currently ranks 23rd in Offensive Rating, giving them a Net Rating of -1.0 on the season, which is 19th in the league.
Improved health would go a long way for the Heat as Kyle Lowry is the only player to play in all 23 games this season. Bam Adebayo, Max Strus, and Caleb Martin are the only other three to play in at least 20 thus far as Erik Spoelstra has had to do a juggling act on a nearly nightly basis with the lineup.
Miami is a team to keep an eye on with the trade market heating up in the coming weeks. They need to find a spark for the team but they are going to run into the same issue they did in the offseason when scouring for upgrades; they just do not have the assets to swing a sizable deal.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 1 Trade Sends Miami Heat’s Duncan Robinson To Chicago Bulls
One player who they have made available in trade talks, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, is Duncan Robinson. Robinson has been made a full-time reserve this season as the five-year, $90 million contract he signed as a restricted free agent in 2021 did not take long to become an albatross of a contract.
“With the emergence of Max Strus and Caleb Martin, Miami has made Duncan Robinson available in trade talks, league sources told HoopsHype.”
That should come as no surprise as the one thing that Duncan Robinson had done at an elite level to earn that contract was shoot from the perimeter, but he isn’t even providing that anymore. He is shooting a career-worst 36 percent overall from the field and a ghastly 31.5 percent from 3-point range.
If he isn’t knocking down 3-pointers at a healthy clip, Robinson is unplayable as he offers very little in any other category. He is a below-average defender, making him a huge liability when his jumper is off as it has been this season. That was a big reason that he was removed from the starting lineup, and eventually the rotation altogether, last season.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 1 Trade Sends Miami Heat’s Duncan Robinson To Boston Celtics
Finding a team that is willing to take on Robinson’s contract will not be easy. Given his history of elite 3-point shooting, a team may be willing to take a chance on him and hope they can help him turn things around. But, Miami will likely have to swap bad contracts with another team or attach some of their remaining assets to him to get a deal done.
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